Cadmium selenide (CdSe) belongs to the binary II-VI group semiconductor with a direct bandgap of ~1.7 eV. The suitable bandgap, high stability, and low manufacturing cost make CdSe an extraordinary candidate as the top cell material in silicon-based tandem solar cells. However, only a few studies have focused on CdSe thinfilm solar cells in the past decades. With the advantages of a high deposition rate (~2 μm/min) and high uniformity, rapid thermal evaporation (RTE) was used to maximize the use efficiency of CdSe source material. A stable and pure hexagonal phase CdSe thin film with a large grain size was achieved. The CdSe film demonstrated a 1.72 eV bandgap, narrow photoluminescence peak, and fast photoresponse. With the optimal device structure and film thickness, we finally achieved a preliminary efficiency of 1.88% for CdSe thin-film solar cells, suggesting the applicability of CdSe thin-film solar cells.

X-ray detection is of great significance in biomedical, nondestructive, and scientific research. Lead halide perovskites have recently emerged as one of the most promising materials for direct X-ray detection. However, the lead toxicity remains a worrisome concern for further commercial application. Great efforts have been made to search for lead-free perovskites with similar optoelectronic properties. Here, we present a lead-free oxide double perovskite material Ba₂AgIO₆ for X-ray detection. The lead-free, all-inorganic nature, as well as the high density of Ba₂AgIO₆, promises excellent prospects in X-ray applications. By employing the hydrothermal method, we successfully synthesized highly crystalline Ba₂AgIO₆ powder with pure phase. Furthermore, we prepared Ba₂AgIO₆ wafers through isostatic pressure and built X-ray detectors with Au/Ba₂AgIO₆ wafer/Au photoconductive structure. The as-prepared X-ray detectors showed a sensitivity of 18.9 μC/(Gy_air·cm²) at 5 V/mm, similar to commercial α-Se detectors showcasing their advantages for X-ray detection.

Thin-film solar cells show considerable application potential as alternative photovoltaic technologies. Cuprous antimony chalcogen materials and their derivatives, represented as CuSbS₂ and CuPbSbS₃, respectively, exhibit the advantages of low cost, massive elemental abundance, stability, and good photoelectric properties, including a suitable bandgap and large optical absorption coefficient. These advantages demonstrate that they can be used as light absorbers in photovoltaic applications. In this study, we review the major properties, fabrication methods, and recent progress of the performance of the devices containing CuSbS₂ and CuPbSbS₃. Furthermore, the limitations and future development prospects with respect to the CuSbS₂ and CuPbSbS₃ solar cells are discussed.